Hydraulic fracturing is a well-stimulation technique in which a high-pressure fluid is injected downhole to fracture a subterranean rock. More particularly, hydraulic fracturing involves injecting a high-pressure fluid into a wellbore to create cracks in the rock through which hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas, petroleum) may flow into the wellbore more freely. The injected fluid may be pressurized by a pump at the surface. The pump may be, for example, a reciprocating pump that includes a power end and a fluid end. The fluid end includes a housing that defines a chamber. One or more plungers may move in a first direction, allowing a lower pressure fluid to flow into the chamber. The one or more plungers may then move in a second, opposing direction, which reduces the volume of the chamber and causes the fluid to flow out to the wellhead. When the flow area in the well is saturated, higher pressure is needed to push the flow through the restrictions caused by the rock formations, thus causing the pressure of the fluid in the chamber to increase.
The cyclical hydraulic pressures in the chamber may strain the housing. This strain may lead to the initiation of cracks in the inner surface of the housing around the chamber. As the cracks propagate, the cracks may lead to the end of the useful life of the fluid end of the pump. In addition, the fluid that is pressurized in the chamber may include water, chemicals, and proppant that, while useful in the fracturing process, may accelerate the formation and propagation of the cracks in the housing. Thus, what is needed is an improved fluid end of a pump that is more resistant to cracks to increase the useful life of the fluid end of the pump.